A: He walks in the locker room, we know we just picked him up. Joe comes in. So we got this thing all staged, and all the players are kinda waiting on the guy, he walks in the door, the poor guy. And Bill Bergey, who’s a great prankster, takes the football, and he bounces it on the floor. He says, “Play it again, Sam!” and I run up and scoop it and give it to Joe (laugh). That’s his introduction, and we’re dyin’. He looks at us; he says, “Oh, no!” And then we all start laughing. Joe was a good guy, boy.

Q: You reflected on “The Fumble” sitting in the end zone before the first preseason game.

A: You sit there and you go, “Man, I’m the luckiest guy in the world and I’ve been doing this for 25 years; you kiddin’ me? And it started in this stadium.” You kinda see your life. I thought of all the games against the Giants that I played in there; I had some good games and not-so-good games. There were a couple of plays I made and a couple of interceptions I had, a couple in the end zone, a couple over there, and you kinda go, “Wow!” you know?

And every time we play at home, when we come out of that tunnel, for some reason I go left, and I walk right over there, right on the 26-yard line. That’s where “The Fumble’s” at.

Q: What do you do when you get there?

A: Just walk by and just kinda … look at it.

Q: You met George Steinbrenner in Tampa at a luncheon.

A: I’ve always known George as a giver. And I think sometimes the perception of him is really not what he is. I think he’s a caring man, he’s a thoughtful guy, he’s loyal.

Q: Could you work for him?

A: Yes. Because he’s fair. He’s demanding, which is OK, but he’s loyal as the day is long, I truly believe that.

Q: He invited you to his box two years ago.

A: The one thing I’ll never forget, one of the best notes I’ve ever gotten, he wrote me a note the year we came back and won the division. It just says, “You’ve done a great job, congratulations. Make us proud.”

Q: Your first NFL interception came off Joe Namath.

A: He was with the Rams. Joe Namath, you kiddin’ me? He had the white shoes. You used to always hear the commentators, “Well there’s a rookie corner out there, Joe’s gonna go at that guy.” My dad came to the game, first time he ever watched me play a pro football game, it was in the Coliseum. It was the first quarter, and we were in a blitz, and he audibled. I’m on the right corner, and I’m going, “I know he’s coming at me.” And he ran Harold Jackson on a deep go and I jumped up, intercepted it. And I can remember, I took it to the sideline, my first NFL interception, I said, “Man, that’s against Joe Namath.” I was like fired up.

Q: You still have the ball?

A: It’s somewhere in Monterey (Calif.).

Q: Did Joe ever sign it?

A: I didn’t get him to sign it; I was too bashful to ask him (laugh).

Q: Why doesn’t New York scare you?

A: I know who I am; I know what I’m about. So I don’t let the perception of what people may say or think of me change who I am.

Q: Joe Torre’s that way.

A: Me and Joe talked about that. I sat in the dugout, and he said, “We both have kinda similar styles a little bit.” He’s got it figured out now; he knows, and the players know, here’s the line now, don’t cross the line. We had a good conversation.

Q: The most trouble you ever got into as a kid?

A: Got suspended from junior high school.

Q: For what?

A: For talking back to the teacher. I was a loudmouth. I deserved it.

Q: What did the teacher say that set you off?

A: She said something and I said, “Well wait a minute …” She said, “Herman, this is my classroom.” I said, “Yeah, but it’s freedom of speech.” She said, “It ain’t freedom of speech, sit down.” I kept talking, she said, “Go to the principal’s office.”

Q: How long was the suspension?

A: Suspended me for the day. I had to go home; my mom said, “What are you doing here?” And I said, “Mom, you don’t tell dad.” (Laugh). She didn’t tell him. I was lucky.

Q: What actor would you want to play you in “The Herm Edwards Story?”

A: Probably Denzel Washington.

Q: What actress would you want to play your wife, Lia?

A: Halle Berry.

Q: The one quality that sold you on your wife?

A: She’s an angel.

Q: What would you tell your son Marcus if he caught a touchdown pass for San Diego State and pulled out a Sharpie?

A: First of all, he wouldn’t do that. But you asked that question and I’ll give you the answer why he wouldn’t do that. We went to go watch him play a high school game, one of his first games. And he’s running out for the warmups with the team, and he’s got his gloves on his facemask. I’m in the stands. I leave the stands. I walk onto the sideline to the boundary and I do this – everybody’s looking at me: “What is he doing?” and I give him this big hug. And I whispered in his ear, “If you don’t take those gloves off your facemask, you’ll never play football again. You got me?” And he went, “I got you Dad.” I said, “Thanks.” And I left it alone and walked away. They just thought I was hugging my son. I wasn’t gonna embarrass him.

The greatest thing I could say about my son, and this is what you always worry about with your kids, that they kinda outgrow their Mom and Dad. But for him, when I see him, when he calls me Dad, and he can still hug me, he’s still like my little boy. Even around his friends, he still calls me Dad. And to me it’s like, that’s the greatest thing you could ever do for me: “I haven’t lost it yet (laugh). I’m still OK!”

Q: If I was president of the United States, I would …?

A: My big thing would be to make sure everyone got an education, and provide everyone with a job.

Q: What would people be surprised to learn about you?

A: I’m very observant. I see more than people think I’m seeing.

Q: One person in history you would like to meet and why?

A: Mother Teresa.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Muhammad Ali, President Kennedy, Mother Teresa.

Q: Three wishes?

A: That we lived in a world that accepted all people for what they were; that we lived in a world that gave everyone hope; that we lived in a world where people would really enjoy every day for what it’s worth.

Q: The one quarterback you didn’t want to face when you played in a big game?

A: Roger Staubach.

Q: Favorite athlete outside football?

A: Tiger Woods.

Q: Which current NBA player is most similar to Herman Edwards, high school point guard?

A: I would say [Jason] Kidd.

Q: Best piece of advice your mother gave you?

A: Please and thank you.

Q: Best piece of advice your father gave you?

A: He used to tell me that the only way you understand discipline is you have to be disciplined.

Q: How did you propose to your wife?

A: (Laugh). I came home one evening and just asked her in the dining room. The hard part was going to ask her father.